


How a cat got Bucky a date

by bioloyg



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Ficlet, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, One Shot, Veterinarian Sam, Winter Falcon, best friend steve, bucky adopts a kitten, idk how to tag something so short I'm sorry, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 17:57:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7855240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bioloyg/pseuds/bioloyg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>She’s tortoise shell and reminds Bucky of a peanut butter cup. Her chest rumbles as she purrs in satisfaction and her single front paw kneads at the air. Whoever left her outside in that box was a monster. Bucky is just glad that it was early fall, otherwise she might’ve died of heat exhaustion. He shivers slightly at the thought and rocks her gently in the crook of his prosthetic arm.</em><br/>~<br/>The fic in which Bucky has a soft spot for kittens, Steve thinks Bucky should tell his landlord, and Sam is a gorgeous vet that everyone loves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How a cat got Bucky a date

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Unclesteeb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unclesteeb/gifts).



> Hey, so if you follow my [side blog](http://zamnwilson.tumblr.com) on tumblr then you'll recognize this as a ficlet I posted there. I just wanted to put this badboy up on AO3 to save it somewhere better though. If you don't follow my side blog then SURPRISE! This is entirely new to you and I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Unbeta'd!

“She was so sickly. And  _sad_. Who throws out a kitten just because she’s missing one leg?” Bucky cradles the kitten in his arms, bottle feeding her while he balances the phone in between his shoulder and his ear. 

She’s tortoise shell and reminds Bucky of a peanut butter cup. Her chest rumbles as she purrs in satisfaction and her single front paw kneads at the air.  
Whoever left her outside in that box was a monster. Bucky is just glad that it was early fall, otherwise she might’ve died of heat exhaustion. He shivers slightly at the thought and rocks her gently in the crook of his prosthetic arm.

On the other side of the line Steve snorts. “ _So instead of bringing her to the vet, or a shelter, you decided to keep her. In your apartment that specifically says no pets allowed._ ”

Bucky rolls his eyes and adjusts the phone as best he can when it starts to slip. “What they don’t know won’t hurt ‘em. Are you gonna tattle on me, Mr. Goody Two Shoes?”

“ _No, but if you get fined don’t come complaining to me. I’ll be too busy saying ‘I told you so._ ’”

Bucky frowns and his eyebrows follow suit, crinkling as he draws them together. “Just for that, you’re not allowed to pet Peanut.”

“ _You named the cat **Peanut**_?”

“Uh, yes. It was either that or Reese, and Reese doesn’t roll off the tongue.”

Steve lets out a long suffering sigh. “ _You’re already attached, huh_?”

Bucky sets down the bottle once it’s near empty and gently cleans the kitten’s muzzle. She mews, distressed by the lack of milk in her mouth, and paws at Bucky’s hand until it goes away. “She would’ve died if someone didn’t take her in.”

“ _Alright, alright_ ,” Steve groans. He’s being obstinate because he doesn’t want Bucky to get in trouble, but put in the same situation, Steve would’ve kept the cat too. “ _When are you gonna take her to the vet?_ ”

The kitten mews again. Bucky smooths his forefinger over the top of her head gently and smiles. “Mm, probably tomorrow. I went earlier in the week to ask them about formulas for kittens but I think she’s gonna need shots sometime soon.”

“ _Well, if you’re really gonna keep her, I’d take her as soon as possible._ ”

Bucky nods but he’s a little more focused on the way the kitten is pawing at his fingers. “Yeah, I will. Like I said – tomorrow.”  
~  
Bucky sits in the waiting room with the kitten in his lap. He read somewhere online that cats like to be swaddled. Something about them enjoying confined spaces for hiding. Based on how calm Peanut is in her little blanket burrito, he would have to agree. He’s wiping an eye booger from her face when a polite blonde nurse stands in front of him and says, “Mr. Barnes?” Bucky nods and she smiles, bright and welcoming. “Dr. Wilson will see you now. Why don’t you follow me back?”

The walk back into the veterinary office is a little nerve-wracking. Bucky’s not a fan of the fluorescent lighting and faint medical smell that seems to hover around these places. Doesn’t exactly bring up the most pleasant memories. But he sucks it up.

Anything for Peanut.

He’s left in a quaint examination room with colorful posters on the walls that have reminders to buy your pets some sort of flea and tick medicine and to give them regular doses of heart worm medication. He’s, admittedly, a little overwhelmed by the prospect and deeply concentrated on the poster for vaccinations when a quick knock, knock sounds against the door.

Bucky looks up just in time to see one of the most handsome men he has ever seen in his life. The guy has a killer smile with a cute little gap in his teeth, cheekbones that could probably cut glass, and it doesn’t hurt that his eyes are puppy dog brown. Bucky is so distracted he misses the first thing the guy says.

"Wha- Sorry I was, uh, reading. What did you say?”

The man gives Bucky a lopsided grin. “I was just saying that I was your veterinarian, Dr. Wilson. You can call me Sam though.” He holds out a hand and his smile mellows into something that makes Bucky’s stomach do a backflip.

“Oh. Hi, I’m Bucky.” He shakes Sam’s hand and then looks down. “And this is Peanut.”

Sam laughs, quick and light. “Peanut, huh? That wouldn’t happen to be because of her coat would it?”

Bucky feels his cheeks warm slightly. “Possibly.”

“It suits her,” Sam says with a tilt of his head. “So, Bucky, what brings you in today?”

Bucky lets out a heavy breath and unwraps his kitten. “I found Peanut on the side of the road on my way home from work last week. I’ve never had such a young kitten before so I just wanted to know when I should get her vaccinated – all the good stuff.”

Sam nods and sits down on one of the rolling stools and rolls himself until he’s face to face with Bucky. He pulls on a pair of purple rubber gloves and gestures toward the kitten. “May I?”

“Go right ahead.”

Sam takes her from Bucky with gentle hands and a soft reassuring noise. “She was on the side of the road?”

“Yeah,” Bucky answers with a sigh. He scrubs his right hand along the back of his head. “Someone left her in a box.”

Sam frowns and then lets out a huff. “Nobody wants the broken ones, huh?” It’s said mostly to the cat, but Bucky feels his core twist. Sam looks up then. “She looks pretty good for a kitten that was abandoned. What have you been feeding her?”

Bucky looks down. “Some special formula. I picked it up from here the other day, actually. Kinda wanted to make sure I gave her the best.” He shrugs.

“Well aren’t you ahead of the game. You sure you need me?”

There are a lot of thoughts that run through Bucky’s head at that, but what comes out is, “Absolutely.”

Sam pauses, considering Bucky, and then he looks down at the cat. “Well, in that case I guess I should tell you what you came here to learn then.” He checks over the kitten one more time and then hands her back to Bucky. “Kittens don’t need their first set of vaccinations until around 8 weeks. I don’t recommend letting her around any other cats you have until she’s had her vaccinations. Do you have any others?”

“No,” Bucky replies quickly. “Just her.”

Sam goes on to detail the ins and outs of kitten care. How often she should feed, when to wean her off of the formula, and how to exercise her so that she can properly adjust to life as a three-limbed kitten. It’s a lot, but Sam writes some of it down, and hands Bucky pamphlets for the things that he doesn’t. Despite the load of information though, it’s over all too soon in Bucky’s opinion.

Sam tosses his gloves into the appropriate bin and rubs his hands on his knees. “Anything else you need from me today?”

_Your number. A date. Any amount of time spent looking at your smile._

Bucky’s eyes nervously flit around the room. “No. No, I uh, I think that’s it. What about you Peanut, got any questions?” She mews, unamewsedly – ha – and Sam lets out a quiet laugh.

“Well, if you two are all set I’ll have Nurse Carter help you with check out – have her set you up with another appointment in three weeks.”

Sam is just about to leave when Bucky sucks in a deep breath and says, “Wait.”

“Something you remembered last minute?” the vet asks as he turns around.

“I – kind of?” Bucky clears his throat. “Do you think I could get your number?” He quickly tacks on, “Y’know, in case I have any questions. Three weeks is kind of a while away.”

Something like surprise flickers across Sam’s face and then he brings his hand to the back of his neck. He opens his mouth but then closes it and lets out a short breath. Then, “Like, my extension or –?”

“Or,” Bucky says before he can take it back. He figures he can always find another vet if he completely embarrasses himself.

But then Sam smiles again and chuckles. “Sure. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to Peanut here.” He grabs a pen and scribbles his cell number on the back of one of the handful of pamphlets Bucky accumulated. He hands it back to Bucky and then crouches and speaks to the kitten, “You can tell your owner here that he can call for other things too. If he wants.”

Sam pushes his hands against his knees and stands. He flashes a smirk in Bucky’s direction and opens the door. “See you in three weeks.”

“Could be sooner,” Bucky hazards, feeling light and hopeful.

“I look forward to it,” Sam says as he taps the door on his way out.

Once the door clicks shut Bucky lets out the breath he was holding. He looks down at Peanut and a toothy grin spreads across his face. “Wait ‘til I tell Steve you got me a date before he could.”

Peanut mews and lets out a squeaky yawn.

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow [my main blog](http://bioloyg.tumblr.com) too, but my [side blog](http://zamnwilson.tumblr.com) is where I post SamBucky/Marvel content


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